Stevenage have rewarded manager Steve Evans with a new two-year contract, keeping the Scot at the club until at least June 2026, the club have confirmed.
The 61-year-old replaced Paul Tisdale in March 2022, with the Hertfordshire-based club sitting just three points above the League Two relegation zone. Evans guided the club to survival and then followed that by achieving promotion in his first full season in charge.
Stevenage were tipped for relegation at the beginning of this campaign but have surprised many by taking League One by storm. However, their recent form has dipped, and they picked up just one point from their last three outings.
Tuesday night’s 3-2 defeat against Bristol Rovers saw them drop out of the play-off places, although they have spent much of the season in the top six. With the prospect of Championship football for the first time in the club’s history a real possibility, Boro have taken the opportunity to tie the former Leeds United boss down to an improved deal.
Chairman Phil Wallace said upon the announcement, “This isn’t about the results of the last few games – or even this season. The results since Steve joined us in March 2022 speak for themselves.
“We’ve moved from being a League Two struggler to a League One side challenging for promotion to the Championship.
“The points gained from the last three games are not what we expected or needed, but experiences like this make us even more determined to finish in a top-six place.
“I enjoy working with Steve and his experience of so many players, over so many levels, is a great asset to us. This improved deal creates time to plan for a longer term and allows us to have a recruitment policy that provides for both success and sustainability for years to come.”
Stevenage will hope to return to winning ways this weekend when they travel to promotion-chasing Derby County.
Writer’s View
The Championship dream remains alive for Stevenage, and to take the Hertfordshire club from 22nd in League Two to seventh in League One is no easy feat. Controversial Evans always has something to say, but going by the stats and the turnaround he’s managed in just two years, he can back it up.
Following the defeat to Bristol Rovers, a positive result against Derby would be massive. They face 15th-placed Wycombe Wanderers and 17th-placed Cambridge United afterwards, and they’d be expected to take six points from those matches.
